“Oratory is the art of enchanting the soul” – Plato

Plato’s Phaedrus, written in the 4th century BCE, confronts the elusive topic of rhetoric and persuasion. Socrates, Plato’s protagonist, engages in a dialogue with Phaedrus regarding the proper use and execution of rhetoric in an argument. Over the course of the excerpt given here, Socrates instructs Phaedrus in the art of rhetoric, which we can apply to our own world today.

Plato and Phaedrus first begin their discussion of rhetoric after Phaedrus becomes frustrated with an argument on love he had heard previously that day. As Phaedrus paraphrases the argument, Socrates deconstructs and improves it, informing Phaedrus as to why the argument could have been more convincing. Socrates plays the role of a teacher here, offering such lessons as “every discourse ought to be a living creature, having a body of its own and a head and feet; there should be a middle, beginning, and end, adapted to one another and to the whole.” Similarly, Socrates goes on to suggest that a rhetorician include “the comprehension of scattered particulars in one idea; as in our definition of love, which whether true or false certainly gave clearness and consistency to the discourse, the speaker should define his several notions and so make his meaning clear.” Both statements propose improvements to the argument on love, and both are helpful to those seeking to persuade others today. These two statements of advice may even seem to be common knowledge to people today who have learned the elements of an argumentative essay or speech. Socrates’ words are far-reaching and instructive even today.

 Later, Socrates begins in a discussion of truth:

“Oratory is the art of enchanting the soul, and therefore the orator must learn the differences of human souls by reflection and experience—they are so many and of such a nature, and from them come the differences between man and man. Having proceeded thus far in his analysis, he will next divide speeches into their different classes: “Such and such persons,” he will say, “are affected by this or that kind of speech in this or that way,””

Socrates asserts that in an argument, truth is less important than guiding one’s argument to produce a response from the one engaged in a discussion. Socrates’ assertion is an interesting one, for it proposes that a rhetorician ought to forgo truth in order to win an argument. While it may seem controversial, it may also ring true even today. Socrates directs his argument to Phaedrus in this way, and in doing so continues to affect the world of argument and rhetoric today.